The present invention is directed to a rope braking device and more specifically, to a rope braking device in combination with a keg gripping device for lowering kegs from a delivery truck.
Rope braking devices are old and well known in the art and generally consist of a device adapted to be suspended from a relatively high point. A rope is threaded through the rope braking device with one end thereof attached to a heavy object which is to be lowered from a high elevation to a low elevation. The opposite end of the rope is held by a person who may be located at either elevation and who will pay out the rope through the rope braking device to lower the object in a controlled manner.
In such rope braking devices, the rope generally follows a torturous path about a number of fixed rods so as to provide substantial friction as the rope passes through the device. A number of devices of this type are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. to Wade (U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,189). The U.S. Pat. No. to Nutkins (U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,559) also discloses a reversable friction brake device for use with a rope or the like wherein the frictional relationship between the rope and a plurality of rollers, end links, snap links and an axle, brake the travel of the rope through the brake device thereby allowing a single rope handler to lower heavy weights attached to the rope in a controlled fashion.
A number of other rope braking devices include a plurality of pulleys which are rotatably mounted in a frame about which a rope is entrained. The application of a force to the rope causes pivoting of the frame to bring the rope into contact with a braking surface to thereby retard passage of the rope around the pulleys. Rope braking devices of this type are disclosed in the U.S. Patents to Hembacher (U.S. Pat. No. 542,641) Bergquist (U.S. Pat. No. 854,922) and Johansson (U.S. Pat. No. 1,116,434).
All of the forementioned rope braking devices are comprised of a plurality of individual parts which require an extensive assembly operation. Such an operation can be time consuming and expensive. Furthermore, most assemblies having moving parts are more prone to malfunctions which could create a serious safety problem.